A label printer is a type of printer exclusively for label printing. For example, the label printer is configured to rotate a platen roller while a continuous paper wound in a roll shape is pinched at one lengthwise end thereof between the platen roller and a thermal head, whereby the continuous paper is released therefrom in a sheet shape and is then fed through a paper path. During feeding of the continuous paper, the label printer is configured to cause the thermal head to print desired information on each of a plurality of labels temporarily attached to a long strip of a paper mount composing part of the continuous paper.
The label printer has two types of ejection modes, i.e., continuous ejection and separation ejection. Continuous ejection refers to a mode in which a label is ejected while being temporarily attached to the paper mount. Separation ejection refers to a mode in which a label is ejected after separated from the paper mount.
In continuous ejection, a paper mount to which a necessary number of labels are attached can be prepared by cutting processing, and then the labels can be separated from the paper mount and be attached to objects on site. Hence, this mode is suitable for a situation where the objects to which the labels are to be attached are located away from the printer. longitudinal
On the other hand, in separation ejection, the labels are discharged one by one while being separated from the paper mount. Hence, this mode is suitable for a situation where objects to which the labels are to be attached are located near a worker. In performing separation ejection, a separation unit mounted to the printer is set in a separation ejection position, and simultaneously, one lengthwise end of the paper mount is folded about a separation pin and is then pinched between the platen roller and a nip roller of the separation unit. With the setting, when the continuous paper is fed for a printing purpose by rotating the platen roller, the paper mount is configured to be fed while being pinched between the platen roller and the nip roller, whereas printed labels are configured to be separated from the paper mount and be discharged outside the printer one by one.
Now, mobility is demanded for the above configured printer whereby the labels can be quickly ejected on an as-needed basis. Hence, the printer is required to be compact in size.
It should be noted that Japan Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2005-035180 discloses a technology to obtain a printer with mobility by enabling a printing device and a feeder unit to be attached to and detached from each other.